Dark Ages Web Site

[Riothamus]

Ramon recently brought to my attention of possibly creating a dark ages website in the near future. Asking what I thought about the idea, I immediately thought, Wow!...wouldn't that be awesome!

The basic concept for the site would focus on the disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West to(this is something with some feedback that can be discussed)to the start of feudalism.

Any insights, feedback on this topic would be appreciated

[Oswald von Wolkenstein]

hmmm the "Dark Ages" . . . actually only called such because Renaissance Humanists thought that the Latin of the period was dreadful (and it is) in comparisson with Classical Latin.


Issues to consider:

The Roman Empire per se didn't fall. What happened was that the mercantile enconomy collapsed and reverted to a rural economy.The international reach of Roman economic might collapsed and trade became more localized.

Also governmental organization changed. Instead of a bureaucracy the system of personal relationships amoung the warrior class became the principle organizational unit.

This of course is a simplification but it's basically what happened.

In terms of the a TW mod, if you wanted to recreate that, you'd have to find a way to depress the economies and complexities of the cities without necessarily diminishing the ability to raise armies. They would be less complex armies but easy enough to raise.